Death in Cuba Checklist — Complete Step-by-Step Guide for Families

When someone dies in Cuba, the process unfolds across four distinct phases, each with its own agencies, documents, and deadlines. This checklist lays out the entire sequence so families can track where they are and what comes next.

Phase 1: First 24 Hours

• Contact the National Police (PNR) if the death occurred outside a hospital
• Secure the deceased's passport and identity documents
• Call ASISTUR S.A. at (+53) 7 866-4121 to open a case
• Verify travel insurance coverage and call the insurer's emergency line before authorizing any services
• Contact your embassy in Havana to register the death
• Record the ASISTUR case number
• Decide on disposition: repatriation, cremation, or local burial

If body repatriation is chosen, embalming must be initiated within 24-48 hours due to Cuba's tropical climate and unreliable cold storage.

Phase 2: Days 2-7

• Obtain the death certificate (Certificado de Defunción) from the local Civil Registry — record the tomo and folio numbers
• Confirm the mandatory autopsy has been scheduled at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Havana
• Coordinate with ASISTUR on transport documents if repatriating (embalming certificate, non-infectious disease certificate, transit permit)
• Provide the embassy with the death certificate and passport for CRODA processing
• Settle all ASISTUR and hospital invoices — insurance claims must be processed before departing Cuba
• If cremation is chosen, confirm crematorium availability (not all provinces have functioning facilities)

Phase 3: Weeks 2-4

• Submit the death certificate to MINJUS (Ministry of Justice) for legalization — expect weeks to months due to ongoing backlogs
• After MINJUS legalization, submit to ESTI for certified English translation (~1,500 CUP per document, 3-10 business days)
• Collect the Consular Mortuary Certificate and Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRODA) from the embassy
• If repatriating remains, book airline cargo through ASISTUR's repatriation coordinator
• Notify banks (BANDEC/BPA) of the death if the deceased held Cuban accounts
• If the deceased was employed through a state empleadora, notify them for contract termination and benefit settlement

Phase 4: Months 2-6+

• Track MINJUS legalization status through the online portal
• Request the full autopsy and toxicology report from the Institute of Legal Medicine (can take up to six months)
• Engage CJI or BES for estate settlement — required for bank fund release, property transfer, and inheritance registration
• Obtain a Declaration of Heirs from a state notary or court
• Manage bank account claims (immediate 5,000 CUP for designated beneficiaries; formal estate process for larger balances)
• If inheriting property, register the transfer with the Property Registry and settle any capital gains tax with ONAT
• Close expat housing leases through PALCO or the Municipal Housing Direction
• File life insurance claims with home-country insurer using the legalized, translated death certificate

Key Contacts

The Cuba Expat Death Guide expands each phase into detailed instructions with bilingual templates, fee schedules, and a communication log for tracking every interaction with Cuban agencies and foreign embassies.

Someone Died in Cuba: English Speaker's Emergency Guide →